iOS 6.1 - Sprint iPhone 5 No Longer Auto Switches to LTE

[Greenstein]

After updating to 6.1 my iPhone 5 no longer auto switches when in an LTE area. In order to be on LTE I have to go into the cellular settings, switch off LTE and then after a 10 second wait or so, I switch back on LTE and it connects to LTE in a split second. I'm thinking the 6.1 update screwed something up. I have rebooted several times and it doesn't fix the issue. What a pain in the ass this will be just to use LTE. Prior to the update it switched beautifully between 3G and LTE.

Anyone else having this issue in Kansas City or other Sprint LTE cities?

 

[dw3bb10]

Works fine for me here in Los Angeles.

 

[AppleFanatic10]

After updating to 6.1 my iPhone 5 no longer auto switches when in an LTE area. In order to be on LTE I have to go into the cellular settings, switch off LTE and then after a 10 second wait or so, I switch back on LTE and it connects to LTE in a split second. I'm thinking the 6.1 update screwed something up. I have rebooted several times and it doesn't fix the issue. What a pain in the ass this will be just to use LTE. Prior to the update it switched beautifully between 3G and LTE.

Anyone else having this issue in Kansas City or other Sprint LTE cities?

I don't have Sprint, but whenever I switched to 3G and switched back it never went back to LTE unless I switched airplane mode on then off. I just checked and it still does this! Maybe its a CDMA thing?

 

[Dwalls90]

Reset network settings.

 

[Greenstein]

Reset network settings.

What exactly happens when you do this?

 

[retroneo]

Your network decides when your handset will perform the measurements that lead to a switch to LTE. Not your end, and you can't really force it.

More Technical Explanation from this thread on another forum (here):

On Telstra, the RRC state transition timing is conservative – the RRC Event 4A/4B are configured such that even small bursts of traffic within every 30 sec or so will keep the phone in CELL_DCH.

In CELL_DCH, the 3G network will not order the handset to make LTE measurements, and therefore there is no handover to LTE.

The only time LTE will be selected if the phone reaches an idle or PCH state, and has had time to synchronize and make LTE RSRP/RSRQ measurements i.e. after almost no data has been transferred at all for >1 min.

For the above reasons, turning LTE on/off will not make much of a difference, and flight mode on/off is playing a game of timing roulette.

Again, the technical explanation is the handset is free to make LTE measurements in the idle/PCH states and re-select to LTE as per the rules in 25.304.

The issue is not as prominent with Optus as their RNC is configured to rapidly release RRC connections directly to idle ASAP, offering the handset more opportunity to carry out idle mode re-selection.

Telstra and Optus are two different carriers with LTE in Australia. You will likely find similar differences between two carriers in every country.

 

[k2dragon]

Yes, in Dallas area. Fixed

After updating to 6.1 my iPhone 5 no longer auto switches when in an LTE area. In order to be on LTE I have to go into the cellular settings, switch off LTE and then after a 10 second wait or so, I switch back on LTE and it connects to LTE in a split second. I'm thinking the 6.1 update screwed something up. I have rebooted several times and it doesn't fix the issue. What a pain in the ass this will be just to use LTE. Prior to the update it switched beautifully between 3G and LTE.

Anyone else having this issue in Kansas City or other Sprint LTE cities?

I was only getting 3G in areas I normally get LTE. I just reset network settings and LTE came up. Resetting network settings will remove all stored wifi networks (goes to factory network settings). It does not remove Cellular Usage Data. But always, do a backup.